Roving is typically wound at a fly frame on a roving bobbin that is formed as a basically featureless cylindrical tube. The yarn package thus formed is then typically transported from the fly frame to a spinning apparatus where the roving is spun into yarn or thread. The two operations are almost invariably carried out at locations removed from each other, often in different plants. Thus a common problem is to keep the roving from coming loose and unwinding from the package between operations. This problem is particularly irksome when the roving is made from shiny synthetic fibers which do not tend to stick together.
It is known to flatten the roving by means of plates engaging the rotating roving package in order to prepare the roving package for transport. In German patent document 3,733,743 the roving bobbin is provided with removable end plates that hold down the roving end. Such plates can only hold a limited amount of the roving.